k6

Run load test locally

$ k6 run [script.js]

$ k6 run [[-u|--vus]] [10] [[-d|--duration]] [30s] [script.js]

$ k6 run [[-e|--env]] [HOSTNAME=example.com] [script.js]

$ k6 run [[-o|--out]] influxdb=[http://localhost:8086/k6db] [script.js]

$ k6 run --discard-response-bodies [script.js]

$ k6 run --compatibility-mode=base [script.js]

$ k6 login cloud --token [secret]

$ k6 cloud [script.js]

k6 [command] [flags]

run script.js
    Executes the k6 script.

-u, --vus number
    Number of virtual users (VUs) to simulate.

-d, --duration duration
    Duration of the test (e.g., 10s, 1m, 2h).

-i, --iterations number
    Number of iterations to execute.

-r, --rps number
    The number of requests per second to send to the target.

-o, --out output
    Output format (e.g., json, csv, influxdb, cloud).

--http-debug output
    output http requests and responses.

--no-connection-reuse
    Disable keep-alive connections.

--no-usage-report
    Disable automatic k6 usage reporting.

--compatibility-mode string
    Enable compatibility mode for certain versions of k6.

--config config-file
    Specifies the configuration file to use.

--summary-export summary_file
    Exports the test summary to a file.

k6 is a modern load testing tool built for developers and DevOps engineers. It allows you to test the performance of your systems and applications by simulating real user traffic.

Unlike traditional load testing tools, k6 is scriptable in JavaScript (ES2015/ES6), making it easy to write and maintain tests. It supports various protocols including HTTP, WebSocket, and gRPC. k6 is designed to be highly performant and scalable, capable of generating high volumes of traffic from a single machine or distributed across multiple machines using k6 cloud service. You can define key performance indicators (KPIs) and set thresholds to automatically detect regressions. k6 helps identify bottlenecks and ensure your system can handle the expected load. The tool provides valuable metrics around duration, throughput, error rates, and more for identifying performance problems.

Its modular design and extensive documentation make it easy to learn and integrate into your existing CI/CD pipelines.

k6 exposes a powerful JavaScript API that allows you to define your load tests. This API includes functions for making HTTP requests, setting up WebSocket connections, defining custom metrics, and much more.

k6 offers a cloud service that allows you to run your load tests at scale, distributing the load across multiple machines. This is useful for simulating large user loads and testing the performance of your system under extreme conditions.

k6 collects detailed metrics about the performance of your system, including response times, error rates, and throughput. These metrics can be used to identify bottlenecks and optimize the performance of your system.

k6 was initially developed by Load Impact AB (now Grafana Labs). It was designed to address the limitations of existing load testing tools, focusing on developer friendliness, performance, and extensibility. The tool has gained popularity due to its ease of use, JavaScript scripting capabilities, and integration with CI/CD pipelines. It has been actively developed and maintained with regular updates and new features.k6 continues to grow as a robust load testing solution.

The first commit to the github repository was made around late 2016.

curl(1), wrk(1), hey(1)